The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is proud to announce that it has been named the recipient of the prestigious Winckelmann Medal of the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (German Archaeological Institute, DAI). AIA President Jane C. Waldbaum received notification of the award from DAI President Hermann Parzinger. The medal is the highest honor bestowed by the DAI on other organizations or distinguished individuals and is awarded very rarely. Only nine medals have been awarded since 1929; the AIA is the first recipient since 1979.

The DAI is a sister organization of the AIA. Founded in 1829, the DAI now has departments in Rome, Athens, Cairo, Istanbul, Madrid, Baghdad, Damascus, Sana’a and Tehran as well as in Germany. It conducts excavations in both hemispheres, sponsors many prestigious publication series, and houses a network of research libraries and photo archives.

The medal, named for Johannes Winckelmann (1717-1768), the founder of ancient art history, is presented for “the extraordinary scientific achievements and merits” of the AIA and its professional members. It will be presented in Berlin in November 2004 during ceremonies honoring the 175th anniversary of the DAI.